The Sharia peace deal, aka Nizam-e-Adl, is becoming a bone of contention between the federal government and the local population of the Malakand agency. Due to its success in bringing peace in the war-torn district of Swat, traders and businessmen of the Malakand Division have demanded of the President Asif Ali Zardari that the Sharia peace deal be endorsed by the president and Sharia courts be set up in the remaining districts of Malakand in order to bring peace. The traders and businessmen have fixed a deadline of 10 days for the government to endorse the Sharia peace deal or else they will set out on a long march on the capital.

The decision of the traders and businessmen community of Malakand, regarding the planned long march, was made public by the Ajuman-e-Tajaran Malakand Division (literally ‘the Union of Traders of the Malakand Division). According to them, the unrest in the area has resulted in considerable damage to the trade and businesses in the whole division, amounting to billions of rupees. Only the restoration of peace through the Nizam-e-Adl could put things back in order for businesses and normal life in the affected districts.

While the warning of the long march came from the traders and businessmen, the Swat Bar Association is also protesting against the President’s delay in signing the Shari peace deal for Malakand Division. The lawyers’ community is protesting over the judicial crisis created in Swat due to the President’s reluctance of signing the Shari draft.